1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to novelty throwing toys, such as balls and oversized darts, that include tails for stabilization during flight. More particularly, the present invention relates to the structure of the tail section of such throwing toys and the manner by which such toys are grasped and thrown.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of a tail and fletching to stabilize a projectile in flight has been in existence since before recorded history. Accordingly, it is well known that the use of a tail and stabilizing fins, i.e. fletching, can be used to make many different projectiles fly both longer and straighter once launched.
Recognizing the aerodynamic advantages of tails, toy manufacturers have applied tails to many different tossable objects. For example, tails with stabilizer fins have been connected to footballs, baseballs and many other hand-thrown toys. A football with a stabilizing tail is currently being marketed under the name Howler™ as part of the Nerf® line of toys, which is manufactured by Hasbro of Rhode Island.
When a football is thrown, much of the energy applied during the throw is consumed by the wobble of the football during flight and the aerodynamic drag created by the wobble. Accordingly, care must be taken to throw the football in a tight spiral. However, when a tail is added to a football, the tail automatically acts to minimize the wobble. Furthermore, the football can be thrown without concern for creating a spiral. The result is that an average person can throw a football with a tail much farther than a football without a tail.
Although many toy manufacturers have added tails to footballs and the like, the tail does nothing else but stabilize the ball in flight. The tail is not grasped nor does it have any part in the throwing process. Rather, the toy football is grasped and thrown in the same manner as a football without a tail. The applicant has discovered a secondary use for the stabilizing tail of a hand-thrown projectile. By adding a tab to the tail, a person can now effectively throw the tossed projectile by its tail. The added leverage provided by the tail increases the launching velocity of the projectile. The projectile can, therefore, fly longer and farther than a projectile with a traditional stabilizing tail. The details of this novel invention are described and claimed below.